Worktable adapted for office work



Feb. 14, 1950 B. T. SODERLUND 2,497,278

WORKTABLE ADAPTED FOR OFFICE WORK Filed Feb. 27, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l M/j/E/VTOR 58W 7 Sewer/ml [5v y ATTORNEK?- Feb. 14, 1950 B. T. SCDERLUND WORKTABLE ADAPTED FOR OFFICE WORK 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1947 Fig. 5.

5 I! l l w 5 1% m I? 1950 B. T. SODERLUND WORKTABLE ADAPTED FOR OFFICE WORK 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 27, 1947 I/VVFNTOR www Mi T m QM m w iv Feb. 14, 1950 sfij E L 2,497,278

WORKTABLE ADAPTED FOR OFFICE WORK Filed Feb. 27, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 //V VF/VTOR fi jyf T Shier/0m Patented Feb. 14, 1950 .1

WORKTABLE ADAPTED Fort OFFICE WORK Bengt Thronsen Se'iderlund, Stockholm, Sweden Application February 27, 1947, Serial No. 731,237 H In Sweden September 3, 1946 Claims.

The present invention adapted for oflice work or the like, said worktable differing entirely, both in principle and with respect to the construction thereof, from the writing desks or combined writing and work- I tables hitherto known.

The present office tables as devised substantially for writing work are not, for many reasons,

serviceable in accordance with'modern requirements, among which reasons the following may be pointed out. The table-top of said tables is frequently encumbered with a lot of objects which are required so frequently as to make it unpracticable to keep them stored in the drawers. The working space is restricted by these objects, which may be constituted by letter baskets, pencil stands, ink stands, stamps, and so forth. The drawers also are unsatisfactorily utilized in an ordinary writing desk provided with cabinets,

since generally only anouter portion of the drawers is effectively used, depending on the trouble of pulling out a long drawer to the whole of its extent. Generally, nothing at all is stored in the inner portion of the drawers of the cabinets, or should anything be stored therein, the material in consideration is such that would not be used, whereby an expensive space is occupied, which should be free to make room .for the legs of the person working at the table. Add to this that a drawer or extension leaf pulled out of the cabinet obstructs the drawers therebeneath. If a middle drawer provided in the tabletop is to be opened by more than .a few'decimeters, it will be necessary to stand up from the writing desk.

Furthermore, the working range of an ordinary work-table is limited. A writing desk is too high for typewriting, and a typewriter table is inconvenientlylow for hand-writing. It is true that tables have been provided with foldable machines, but these tables are in the first place limited with respect to the use thereof by the fact that the cabinet is only adapted for the machine in question, and, secondly, these tables are expensive in manufacture. All of these drawbacks ;are entirely obviated by the work-table inaccordance with the invention. a i

The distinguishing feature of the work-table according to the invention substantially resides in the fact that the tabletop consists of a frame enclosing displaceable and foldable leaves, which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the table look-- refers to a work-table ing obliquely from the front, and Fig. 2 is a similar view of the table looking obliquely from the rear. Fig. 3 shows the table as viewed from the front, and Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 5 shows the table viewed from the end thereof. Fig. 6 is a section of a leaf on line VI-VI in Fig. 4, and Figs. '7 and 8 are similar sections on lines VII-VII and VIII-VIII in Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a section on line IX-IX in Fig. 4, and Fig. 10 is a section on line XXjin the same figure. Fig. 11, finally, is a cross section through the table-top on line XI-XI in Fig. 4.

According to the drawing, l designates a frame confining the table-top. This frame need not necessarily enclose the whole table-top, but may also be conceived as being open for a distance at the front. 2 denotes a supporting fillet extending in the longitudinal direction of the table and dividing the table-top into two sections containing various compartments. The rear compartment or compartments are deeper by the provision of a trough-like box 3 underneath the frame, said box being constructed so that the sum of two opposite angles between the bottom and the sides of the box is always greater than 180.

The rear compartment or compartments are intended, inter alia, for forms, letter baskets, card systems of various kinds, suspension folders,

and so forth. They are covered by a number of I bent at the ends thereof and formed into bearings 9 for rollers l0 carrying the hinges.

The rollers ID of the leaves are adapted torun in channels H, which are bent approximately by at the ends of the table and continue down to the box-like compartment 3. The'flexible leaves 4 may thus be displaced laterally down into the table so as to uncover corresponding openings for the compartments therebeneath.

The intermediate leaves 5 are not flexible, and

the rubber mat l is braced up here by a piece of sheet-metal l2 arranged on shafts l3 carrying the leaf. The ends ofsaid shafts are adapted to carry the wheels [0. The leaves 5 are displaceable in a lateral direction, after one or both of the leaves 4 have been thrust down into the table.

The front compartment or compartments are intended, inter alia, for pencil stands, ink stands, stamp stands, note blocks, calendars, number I registers, telephones, and so forth. The compartments are made so as to permit as many commade flexible, so that they may be thrust in their entirety into the table-topfif-"de sired.

The side portions of the leaves l l may; also be provided with recesses 2|, whereby it will be:pos-, sible to fold down the leaves in their pulled-out position into a convenient inclined positionsuitable for writing. Here, the recesses 2| are adapt- -ed to-.gripaboiit"the frame portion I A "condition for this folding down operationis, however, that the plates "l areremoved.

By the removal o'f the corresponding pins l8,

calculating-machine may then be inserted, said machi-nesbi'ng thus placed on a suitable working level.

The table is supported-by plates 20 bent into smart-as po's'sible underneath the table-top. The construction of the table permits without difii- }culty the"'arrarige'm ent'ofacentral lock common to all of the leaves, said loci; being not shown in the drawing, however;

The "advantages "of the work-table according "to the" invention are evident. There are no drawerstoopen and 'to close/and'the whole equip- "ment -is immediately accessible. "Ihe'surface of :the"'tabl e-top"is entirelyfree, anda'la'rger working space obtainedfsince"encumb'ering cabinets are'consp cuous by their absence. Only one type "of table'willhave'to be in'anufz t'cl'lured in a few "sizesfsinjce the sfameftableis just as serviceable "bothfa'sfatypewriter ta'blefand as an or dinary fam very; smalljan'jd n *coiribination with the simple "constru tion, -without any drawers or "a suspen i n, "the; table will be "very inexpensive in Tma'r'i' ugfacture. 'By' the fact'that 'all of "theparts "comprisedfin theftable permit of being piled on top, of eachj'otherfthecosts of storage, freight, v "a a erin willfbelow.

The invention should not be regarded as conrmed toith runner ei'nbbdimnt as herein illus- -trated and described it being possible to modify thesa i'ne within the scope of the invention, es-

"p'ecially 'as'reg'ards "the construction of the de- "tailsl Fori'exai'nplafthe sides and the bottom may be preferably manufactured integral from Bake- 'lit'ejin on'ejtr'oughlike piece, and an of the leaves maybe'ma'c l'e displaceable in thejsame direction.

Having now described my invention, what I uaimasnewand desiretosefcure by Letters Pat 1. In an offic'e'table, in combination, supportingflle'g's, agenerally'rectangular frame mounted 'on""sa id legs, s'a'id 'fr'amehaving a member exftendi'ng longitudinally thereof dividing the frame intof'twofportions, a bottom supported from the lower side of "said frame to form-two compartments, one, forward of. 's'aidflongitudinal mem- "b'er and one rearward thereof, and a plurality'of slidabl'ecover means for each said compartment;

Obviously, there is nothing that would prevent these leaves also from being.

the cover means for the rear compartment being movable in a direction parallel to said longitudinal member and those for the forward compartment being movable in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal member.

2. In an ofiice table, in combination, supporting legs, a generally rectangular frame mounted 2 said legs, Sa d frame. bales qcme ised of bers of; 'siibsjtantial de'p thya' member extending long'itudinally of said""frame -and dividing the frame into two portions, a bottom supported from "the under side of said frame to form two large compartments, :one-iforward of said longitudinal member and one rearward thereof, partition membeis extendirfg- -in a direction perpendicular tosaid longitudinal-member and subdividing the --ferward-compartment into a plurality of smaller compartments, and slidable cover means for said cbmpartments, said cover means for the rear compartment being movable in a direction parallel to s'aidiongitudinal -member, :said cover members -for the forward compartment being mounted'on *said partition members and; being movable in a direction perpendiculartosaid-longitudinalmem- -ber.

3. In an ofiice table, incombination, supportin'gwle'gs, aigenerally rectangular frame mounted onsaid legs, said frame'beingcomprised of members of substantial: depth, "a member 1 extending longitudinally of said: framemand dividing the frame-into twdportion's-ka bottomsupported from the'un'der' side 'of said'tr'ameto form two large -compartments, one-forward: 0f said longitudinal memberand on'e rearward thereofgand slidable cover-means. forsaid compartments-said cover m'eans "for the rear compartment being mounted on the rear frame-member and *said longitudinal member and beingmovable in a directionparallel to said longitudinalmember, saidc'over members for the forward compartment being movable. in

a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal -member.

4. In-an ofllce table, in combination, supporting legs, a generally rectangular frame mounted onsaid legs, said fra'mecbeing comprised of'members of substantial depth, a member extending longitudinally of said frame and dividing the frameintoitwoportions, a-bottom supported from the under sideof said fram'eC-to; form two large compartments, one forward of -said longitudinal member and "one. rearward thereof, partition members: extendingi 'in a i direction perpendicular to said longitudinal member and subdividing the forward-compartment intoa plurality of smaller compartments andslidable cover means for said compartment, said. cover means for :the rear com- .partmentbeing mounted on the rear=frame memher and: saidtlongitudin-almember and movable in :a direction I parallel to said longitudinal member, and the cover members for the forward compartment beingmountedon-said partition members andibeingimovablein a direction perpendicular :to saidlongitudinal member.

I 5.- In'an :ofli'ce- -table, in "combination, supporting leg'sg'a' generallyrectangular 'frame mounted on said legs, said framehaving substantial depth,

a member extending longitudinally ofsaid frame and dividing-the frame into two portions, a bot- -"tom supported from the -under side of saidframe,

saidbotttimhavinga de'eper-portion at the rear th'ereof -thereby forming-a shallowerforward compartment and a *deeper rearwardcompartmerit, 'm'e'ans 'exte'ndingperpendicular to said longitudinal extending meniber to subdivide said sal wate -compartment intoa pl-urality or smaller compartments, slidable means operable in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinally extending member to cover said smaller forward compartments, said means being removable at will and means slidable on said longitudinal ex- 5 tending member and the rear member of said frame in a, direction parallel to said longitudinal extending member to cover said rear compartment, a portion of said cover means being movable to permit sliding movement of the remainder 10 of said means.

BENGT TI-LRONSEN SODERLUND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 15 file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hobart Sept. 5, 1922 Merrill Jan. 5, 1932 Wagner Aug. 1, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland May 1, 1923 France Nov. 27, 1923 

